October 19, 2012
Judge Tom
1

Romney T-shirt offends teacher

Samantha Pawlucy

It is common for many schools to allow Fridays to be dress-down or casual days where the dress code is relaxed within reason and students are free to wear more comfortable attire.

But at Charles Carroll High School in Pennsylvania, sophomore Samantha Pawlucy was reprimanded for her T-shirt on Friday, September 28, 2012. She wore a pink Romney/Ryan shirt to school. It caused no disruption or reaction until she went to her geometry class. The teacher asked Samantha if her parents were Republicans and she said she didn’t know. Then the teacher reportedly said that the school is a Democrat institution and that her T-shirt was like wearing a Ku Klux Klan shirt. Samantha was told to remove the shirt or leave the classroom. Samantha was embarrassed and left.

Samantha Pawlucy

Samantha Pawlucy

Once she told her parents, they requested a meeting with the principal and teacher. Her teacher apologized explaining it was a joke. She was transferred to another class while the matter is under investigation.

What do you think about this? Are political shirts, buttons, patches and the like speech? Isn’t political speech protected at school? What are the limits if your school has a dress code? Have you read the rules of dress in your Student Handbook. Check it out on your school’s website for the details. You can read more about free expression at school here.

 

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Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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1 Comment

  • Samuel
    February 5, 2013 9:31 am count( 0 )

    KKK my eyeball.While everyone is complaining about Romney trying to take away our rights,Obama says we can’t protest if he,or anyone in office is near.